According to culinary experts, PETA, and experienced bakers, most burger buns are vegan. Meaning, they come from plant sources. Although, vegans will tell you that not all bread and buns are created equal. Let’s examine some key differences between Vegan and Non-Vegan buns.
Ingredients that are sourced from animals like, milk, butter, oils, glycerin, sodium caseinate are not vegan. Four integral ingredients of any bread are flour, water, yeast, and salt. All four of these ingredients are not from animal sources. Yeast comes from fungi, flour is derived from grains such as rye, rice, wheat, or corn which is milled into a fine powder. Salt along with water is a natural ingredient. Since most buns and bread nowadays are mass-produced, a variety of additives are often added in this process to enhance the taste, freshness, and shelf life.
Ingredients Not Suitable For Vegans:
If you are a vegan or vegetarian and want to consume buns that don’t have any ingredients of animal origin. Below, we list some ingredients commonly used in bakeries to prepare a variety of doughs including hamburger buns.
Honey and Refined Sugars
Honey comes from living insects (bees) which makes it an animal-made product thus, not suitable for vegans. Refined sugars often contain some byproducts of animal origin that are either added during or refinement process for various reasons of color or taste enhancements.
Dairy
A variety of dairy products like butter, margarine, liquid or powdered milk, oils, and custard, are often added to burger buns for taste and texture
Casein
Either sodium caseinate or calcium caseinate, these two chemical compounds are a kind of protein that is found naturally occurring in animal or human milk. As an additive to the dough, casein is used to improve the volume of bread. It allows the dough to be fermented longer without affecting its quality. It also increases the water absorption which allows a greater production volume.
Eggs
Eggs are often used added to pastry and bun dough because they contain lecithin which is used as a leavening agent. Egg yolks are often added for color and fats that enhance dough tenderness. A good example of buns that contain eggs, butter, and even margarine are Brioche buns. Although, traditional brioche dough is not vegan there are recipes for tasty vegan brioche buns. You can get the recipe here.
In addition to these ingredients, some bakeries will utilize animal lards and ghee which is not for consumed by vegans.
Where can I buy vegan buns for my plant-based patty?
As the demand for vegan and plant-based products grows, more and more grocery store chains are stocking buns and bread that are purely vegan. These products contain simple and organic ingredients without any additives. Let’s list some of the most popular brands below.
If you are flexitarian and do not care if your plant-based burger buns are 100% vegan, then you can opt for some organic whole wheat or brioche buns that will certainly enhance the taste of your plant-based burger.
Takeaway
Bread, buns, and pastries are purely plant-based products that often contain additives of animal origin. Whether you like your buns toasted or not, quality burger buns will complement your plant-based patty and enhance its flavor. Selecting a brand that suits your tastebuds should not be that difficult today. Just like with the patties, sampling a few before settling for your favorite is the best way to go.